Return of the Wolf
by OptimusPrime2017
Summary: A great warrior is reincarnated into his clan with a new destiny. His enemy is reincarnated too. But as which cat? A standalone story. DISCONTINUED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE!
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"What is it you need, Brightstar?" A wolf-like tom mewed as he entered the clearing around a starry pool.

A ginger she-cat looked up at the tom. "Good, you have come." She meowed in response. "What I need is you to return."

"But, I don't understand." The tom murmured. "Return to where?"

"You know very well where." Brightstar looked at him. "Wolfsoul, you are a brave warrior. You were brave ever since I made you an apprentice. I need you to return to Stealthclan to be brave once more."

Wolfsoul's jaws gaped wide in shock. "For how long?"

The ginger she-cat licked her paw and drew it over her face. "A lifetime." She responded. "You are going to be reincarnated as a kit with all of your current memories intact."

"Is that even possible?" The tom asked, snapping out of his daze. "With my memories?"

"It is." Another voice came, and he turned to see a flame pelted tom with emerald green eyes.

"Greetings, Firestar." He dipped his head to the former Thunderclan leader. "When are you sending me?"

"The day of the next full moon." Firestar replied. "We will also be sending Kestrelthorn a prophecy tonight in a dream."

"A prophecy?" Wolfsoul pricked his ears with interest. "Another one so soon?"

"Yes, Wolfsoul." Brightstar responded this time. "But we cannot tell you it. Not yet."

He dipped his head, accepting the fact.

*X*

It was sunrise of the full moon and Wolfsoul forced himself to hold his head and tail high as he faced the two former clan leaders.

"Are you ready, Wolfsoul?" Brightstar asked him.

"As ready as I'll ever be." He replied curtly.

"Stand in the Starpool." Firestar ordered. Wolfsoul obeyed, feeling the coldness of the water lapping over his paws. "Brightstar, since you were his clan leader, you may do the honors."

"Very well, Firestar." The ginger she-cat dipped her head. "Good luck, Wolfsoul. You are the first Stealthclan warrior to be reincarnated. We give you the best of our wishes and will be looking down at you in your second lifetime. Wolfsoul, you have served both Starclan and Stealthclan well. Is it your wish to return to them?"

"It is." He meowed firmly, though he was uncertain.

"Then at sunhigh, you will find yourself back there as a kit." She continued. "Once again, best of luck to you."

Wolfsoul dipped his head. "Thank you."

He felt the Starpool pulling him in, down into the water. It covered his head and then all of a sudden his vision went white, to nothing.

He had left Starclan.


	2. Chapter 1 and Allegiances

**Our Cats:**

 _ **Thunderclan (Borrowed/changed from A Vision of the Shadows Arc):**_

Leader: Squirrelstar (dark ginger she-cat with green eyes and one white paw)

Deputy: Whitewing (white she-cat with green eyes)

Medicine Cat(s): Leafpool (light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, white paws and chest)  
Jayfeather (gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes)  
Alderheart (dark ginger tom with amber eyes)  
Warriors: Berrynose (cream-colored tom with a stump for a tail)  
Cinderheart (gray tabby she-cat)  
Lionblaze (golden tabby tom with amber eyes)  
Bumblestripe (very pale gray tom with black stripes)

Ivypool (silver-and-white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes)  
Dovewing (pale gray she-cat with green eyes)  
Cherryfall (ginger she-cat)  
Molewhisker (brown-and-cream tom)

Sorrelstripe (dark brown she-cat)  
Leafshade (a tortoiseshell she-cat)  
Sparkpelt (orange tabby she-cat)

Twigbranch (gray she-cat with green eyes)

Swallowthroat (pale gray tabby tom)  
Plumheart (black and orange she-cat)

Stemfur (orange tabby and white tom)

Queens:Daisy (cream long-furred she-cat)

Elders: Briarlight (dark brown she-cat, paralyzed in her hindquarters)

Apprentices: Shrewpaw (light gray tabby tom)

Kits: Hollykit (black she-cat)

 _ **Stealthclan:**_

Leader: Brackenstar (golden tabby tom)

Deputy: Jayleaf (gray tabby tom)

Medicine cat(s): Kestrelthorn (mottled gray tom)

Queens: Squirrelheart (light ginger she-cat)

Icedust (white she-cat with icy blue eyes)

Elders: Butterblaze (ginger tabby tom, missing one leg)

Warriors: Cinderspirit (very light gray she-cat)

Tigersnarl (dark brown tabby tom)

Lionclaw (golden tabby tom)

Sugarheart (white she-cat)

Fernspirit (gray she-cat)

Shadowheart (black tabby tom with red eyes)

Rainnose (gray-blue she-cat)

Apprentices: Lightpaw (light gray tabby tom)

Kits: Flarekit (flame orange tom with golden eyes)

Wolfkit (wolf-like tom with yellow eyes; reincarnation of Wolfsoul)

 _ **Pondclan:**_

Leader: Blossomstar (ginger she-cat with white spots)

Deputy: Troutfur (dark gray tabby tom)

Medicine cat: Berryfur (creamy she-cat)

Queens: Featherfoot (silver she-cat)

Elders: Splashstep (gray tabby tom)

Warriors: Tallfoot (pale gray she-cat)

Silvershine (silver she-cat)

Rustpelt (ginger tabby tom)

Voleclaw (gray tabby tom)

Violetheart (light brown she-cat with purple eyes)

Sleekfur (black and white tabby tom)

Apprentices: Dapplepaw (tortoiseshell she-cat)

Kits: Lilykit (ginger she-cat)

 _ **Littleclan:**_ __

Leader:

Deputy:

Medicine cat: Blackmist (black she-cat)

Queens:

Elders:

Warriors: Strongsoul (black she-cat)

Poppypelt (black she-cat with gray spots)

Shinefur (ginger she-cat)

Apprentices:

Kits: Joltkit (electric ginger tabby tom)

 _ **Heartclan:**_

Leader: Deadstar (pure black tabby tom)

Deputy: Otterheart (dark brown tabby tom)

Medicine cat: Mallowheart (gray she-cat with soft green eyes)

Queens: Beepelt (tortoiseshell she-cat)

Elders: Tansydrop (gray she-cat)

Warriors: Petalgleam (ginger she-cat)

Hollysoul (black she-cat)

Firestream (ginger tom)

Cloudclaw (white tabby tom)

Gingerpelt (ginger she-cat)

Applefoot (light brown tabby tom)

Giantfoot (black tabby tom with very big paws)

Silentsoul (silver tabby tom)

Apprentices: Snowpaw (white tabby tom)

Kits: Cinderkit (gray she-cat)

 **Chapter 1:**

Wolfkit raced alongside his brother, Flarekit, a flame orange tom with golden eyes. It'd been five and a half moons since he was reincarnated. It felt strange to be a kit again, though he did his best to seem normal. His personality was more distant and distracted than ever because of his past memories. So many of the worst ones haunted him, in his waking moments and at night.

"Come on, Wolfkit!" Flarekit yowled, snapping him out of his daze.

"Sorry!" He called back, racing to the flame-colored kit's side.

"What's with you?" His brother asked, tipping his head.

"Nothing." He lied, flattening his ears.

"Wolfkit!" A golden brown tabby emerged from a den, glancing at him. "I need to speak to you."

 _Why would Brackenstar need to see me?_ Wolfkit wondered, twitching an ear as he raced across the clearing to him. "Yeah?"

"Come on." Brackenstar turned and entered the den.

He padded in after him. "What do you need?"

The golden tabby leader sat facing him, curling his tail around his paws. "Have you ever heard about the story of Wolfsoul?"

Forcing himself not to flatten his ears, he glanced at the tom. "Yep." He replied, trying to sound confident. "Why?"

"I knew him." Brackenstar responded slowly. "He was an adventurous, brave tom. He was very friendly too. When he was a kit, he went out to help Stonepool collect herbs and they found a fox!"

 _I remember that...and then I fell into camp!_ He remembered the memory with an inward shudder. "Wow." He replied, trying to sound amazed.

The golden tom's voice shook. "I was his mentor. He left to go on a journey with a cat from each of the other three clans, before Thunderclan joined us. He left when no cat was awake and we thought we'd never see him again."

 _Actually, the dawn patrol was leaving and I snuck out after them._ He recalled.

"We defeated the creature called a bear in the mountains." Brackenstar continued on. "He survived being hit by a falling star. His father was leader of the Dark Forest."

 _And I ran away when I found out...Stop giving me a history lesson about myself!_

"Wolfsoul even killed Tigerfang, his own father, but he died as well." The leader finally finished.

 _Painfully!_ Wolfkit twitched an ear. "Well, I'll be as good as he is." _Because I am him…_

"I know you will be." Brackenstar replied, his eyes glinting with something that looked like suspicion. "You sound just like him when he was a kit, you know."

"I know." He responded, after turning to leave.

He was about to slip out of the den when he heard the tom say one last thing.

"I know the truth." Brackenstar half murmured, sending an uncertain feeling through Wolfkit.

The wolf-like kit turned to face him, narrowing his yellow eyes. "Oh yeah? Tell me then."

The leader's words rang through his ears. "You are Wolfsoul."


	3. Chapter 2

Wolfkit turned and stalked up to him. "Don't tell anyone." He ordered.

"You aren't in charge of me, you know." Brackenstar mewed, calmly.

"I've been in Starclan, so technically, I am." He hissed back.

The golden tom just rolled his eyes.

"Please, you have to promise me, Brackenstar." He continued.

"Why have you come back?" The leader asked.

"Because, it's my destiny." His yellow eyes pierced into the other cat's eyes. "Now, promise me, promise me that you'll tell no other living soul about this."

"I promise." Brackenstar responded, his honest, kind gaze having returned.

"Thank you." Wolfkit dipped his head, padding back to the exit of the den and slipping through.

He heaved a sigh of relief and then spotted Flarekit racing up to him.

"What was that all about?" The flame-colored kit asked.

"It doesn't matter." He replied, cuffing his brother's ear. "You know what does?" He asked, with sparkling eyes.

"What?" Flarekit asked.

"Exploring." Wolfkit purred.

"We're going out?"

"Yeah, now shut up and follow me."

"Okay." The orange kit replied.

They slipped through the entrance to the dirtplace tunnel, glad to find no other cats inside. They raced across and pushed through the other opening. They were in the forest!

Wolfkit paused to breath in the forest scents and glanced at his brother, who had a look of complete awe on his face.

"Come on, we gotta find cover." The wolf-like kit hissed to the other one.

They darted other the nearest bush, making sure that their tails weren't poking out. Slowly, they moved from bush to bush, towards the right of the camp.

"What if we get lost?" Flarekit whispered into his ear.

"We won't." Wolfkit assured him.

He knew where he was taking him. They were going towards the Thunderclan border, where a river split up the two clans. _Really glad that Brightstar left my memories with me!_ By sunhigh, they'd reached the river. Peeking out of the bushes to look around, Wolfkit stepped onto the stone surrounding it, beckoning his brother with his tail.

"Whoa." Flarekit breathed. "Where are we?"

"I think at a border." He responded, trying to sound uncertain.

"With which clan, do you think?"

"I don't know." Wolfkit lied. "Thunderclan, maybe."

He padded up to the river, enjoying the sound of rushing water, yet it brought a familiar, horrifying memory back to mind. He shoved the memory away, not wanting to remember the sadness that had followed it.

"The sound of the water is...calming." Flarekit mewed.

Wolfkit dipped his head, half agreeing. "Just don't fall in." He half teased, half warned him.

"Right." His brother responded. Then his tone grew more serious. "What do we do if we get caught?"

"We won't get caught." He assured him. "I promise."

"Good." The flame-colored kit flicked his tail, a playful look filling his golden eyes.

Wolfkit let out a purr as he began to feel energized. He leapt onto his brother's back, attacking him with sheathed claws. Flarekit pushed him off and jumped onto him in return. They tumbled across the stone in a flash of fur. Eventually, the wolf-like tom gained an advantage and pinned his brother down.

"I win." He meowed cockily.

"I'm not done yet." His brother's eyes glinted mischievously.

He felt Flarekit's hind paws kick into his stomach and launch him into the air. The sound of rushing water roared through his ears and Wolfkit found himself clinging to the blank with one unsheathed paw as the rest of his legs dangled in the water, getting pulled on.

"Flarekit!" He yowled, fighting back panic. _Not again! I'll definitely die this time._ "Help me!"

His brother's orange face appeared just a tail length and a half in front of him, fear alighting his eyes. He reached out his front right paw. "Grab my paw!"

Wolfkit reached out with his free forepaw, but the distance between them was too far. He managed to latch his paw into the stone beside his other one as he struggled to pull himself onto the bank.

Suddenly he heard a yowl and looked to see a patrol racing from behind his brother. Flarekit spun around, seeming shocked and relieved.

"Oh, great Starclan!" Rainnose exclaimed.

"No! Wolfkit!" Shadowheart yowled in shock and distress.

At the same heartbeat, pain burst through his front paws and he felt the current pulling him downstream. The last thing he saw of his clanmates was the look of grief on their faces, but on Flarekit's face, he also saw guilt.

Wolfkit reached out his forpaw towards them as they vanished from sight.

"No!" He yowled, mostly angry. _How could this have happened again?_

*X*

Wolfkit's eyes flickered open and he let out a cough as he vomited up water. When he finally stopped, he glanced at his aching paws to see blood staining them. He unsheathed his claws, only to flinch at another burst of pain. With a jolt, he realized that he was missing some claws.

He sheathed his remaining ones and got to his paws, shaking water from his dripping pelt. He glanced around. _Where am I? This isn't Stealthclan territory._

"Great." The lost kit hissed. "Just great."

A cool blast of wind plastered his pelt to his sides again and made him shiver. He glanced at the sky, seeing dark gray clouds gathering nearby.

"As if things couldn't get worse." He heard himself meow.

Flattening his ears against his head, he began trekking back upstream, alongside the river.


	4. Chapter 3

Wolfkit collapsed, panting. He didn't know how close he was to the spot he's fallen into the river at. He was wondering if he'd passed it maybe. He just hoped that a Thunderclan patrol wouldn't find him. He pricked his ears as he heard the undergrowth rustle behind him. _Just my luck…_

Wolfkit turned around to face Whitewing and Alderheart. He flattened his ears, ashamed of being found lost.

"Great Starclan!" Whitewing exclaimed. She turned to Alderheart. "It's a kit. What should we do with it?"

"Take it back to camp, I'll keep looking for herbs." The tom meowed.

"I can hear you, unless you haven't noticed." Wolfkit grumbled, twitching an ear. "The only place I'm going is back to Stealthclan."

Alderheart snorted. "You look like you fell in the river."

"I did!" He hissed.

The Thunderclan medicine cat's shoulder fur began to bristle and his jaws opened to let out another sharp comment.

The white she-cat slapped her tail across his mouth, casting him a glare. Then she looked back at Wolfkit, her gaze sympathetic. "I suppose that your clan may be worried. I would take you back to them, but we need more warriors."

"You're keeping me here?" He growled deeply in shock. "You can't do that to me!"

"Actually, the warrior code says to help any kit in need." Alderheart reminded him, satisfaction in his voice.

"It doesn't say to take them into your clan against their will!" Wolfkit slid his claws out and lashed his tail.

"What's your name?" Whitewing asked, gently.

"Wolfkit." He replied, uneasily.

"Well, for now on, we're going to call you Onekit." The medicine cat told him, more gently.

"Why?" He asked, knowing he sounded stupid.

"Because we found just one kit." Alderheart mewed simply. "Come on, we might as well all go back to camp. Herbs can wait."

As they began to turn back deeper into Thunderclan territory, Whitewing looked down at him. "What were you doing out of your camp anyway?"

"Well…" The wolf-like kit mumbled. "It's a long story."

"Were you exploring?" Alderheart asked. "Kits your age are usually really curious about the forest."

"Uh, yeah." He half lied. "My brother and I were curious about the territory."

"Did your brother fall in with you?" The white she-cat turned toward him, worry in her eyes.

"No." The kit reassured her. "He is actually the main reason I fell in, though he tried to save me."

They continued on in silence. It was nearly dusk when he finally spotted a bramble thorn barrier. They headed towards it, ducking through and into the camp. He forced himself to ignore the curious glances of the Thunderclan cats.

"How old are you?" Alderheart asked as they headed towards a small den at the back of the camp.

"Six moons, tomorrow." He replied honestly.

"Maybe Squirrelstar could perform your ceremony today then." Whitewing suggested with a purr. "We should get you over to her either way."

They reached the den entrance.

"Squirrelstar?" Alderheart called in.

"Enter." A she-cat's voice came.

"You first, Onekit." The white she-cat mewed.

Ducking his head, he entered the den. Whitewing followed, Alderheart on her paws.

A ginger she-cat sat at the back of the den, her back towards them. She turned around, revealing a white paw and a white belly. "I thought you were looking for herbs, Alderheart."

"We found something else instead." The medicine cat responded. He flicked his tail towards the wolf-like kit. "This is Onekit. He was a Stealthclan kit, but he fell in the river and we found him."

"We thought we'd bring him back because we need more warriors." Whitewing added.

"You stole a kit from another clan!" Her eyes flashed.

"He was on our side of the border." Alderheart reminded her calmly. "Besides, like Whitewing said-"

"We need more warriors, I know." Squirrelstar interrupted. "But that's not a reason to bring him here. Stealthclan is probably worried sick. We could start a war by keeping him here! But I need to do what's best for Thunderclan." Her voice calmed. "Onekit stays."

 **What do you think of his new name?**


	5. Chapter 4

It had taken a lot of work, but eventually the two cats had convinced Squirrelstar. The ceremony had just ended. Which ceremony? His apprentice ceremony. Onepaw glanced at Plumheart, his new mentor. He went over recent events in his head. _I have a new name and a new clan. My mentor is Plumheart, a young black and ginger Thunderclan warrior. Why couldn't it have been Heartclan?_

He shook his head and padded over to her. "So, are we taking the tour today?"

"Yes, Onepaw, we are." Plumheart's eyes shown with pride at having an apprentice. "Follow me."

She led the way across the camp, ducking through the thorn-bramble barrier. He raced after her. She turned to the left, the way the Stealthclan border was. The wolf-like tom followed, careful not to unsheath his remaining claws. The clouds from the previous day were even darker and the air smelled of rain. The wind blasted him harder than it had the other day as well.

They plunged into the undergrowth, now sheltered from the wind. A familiar scent hit his nose and he recognized it at once. There was a mouse nearby. Spotting it less than a tail length to his right, he crouched down. Instinctively, he crept forward and pounced. He landed right on top of it and swiftly bit its neck. _The first prey of this life._

"Hey, nice catch, but we'd better hurry up with the tour before it rains." Plumheart reminded him.

"Oh yeah." Onepaw mewed guiltily. "Sorry."

"It's alright." She replied sympathetically.

He picked up the mouse and followed her to the edge of the bushed. They burst out of the undergrowth and the wind hit them in a hard gust, nearly knocking him off of his paws. Regaining his balance, Onepaw spotted the river just two fox lengths away. He forced himself to stay calm as he padded up to the border beside his mentor.

"Smell that?" Plumheart asked.

He sniffed the air, scenting Stealthclan scent from beyond the river. "Yeah."

"That's Stealthclan scent, though you probably know that." She explained.

"Yeah." He nodded, slightly embarrassed.

"Come on, we should probably get to the Pondclan border now." She turned and vanished into the undergrowth.

"Hey, wait up!" Onepaw called to her.

He whirled around, but not without spotting a flash of fiery orange fur from across the river. He knew who it was, though he forced himself to run towards the bushes after his mentor.

"Wolfkit!" The familiar cry rang over the rushing river.

Flattening his ears sadly, he forced himself to enter the bushes without turning back towards the young cat on the other side of the river. He padded away.

Away from his brother.

 **Our Cats:**

 _ **Thunderclan (Borrowed/changed from A Vision of the Shadows Arc):**_

Leader: Squirrelstar (dark ginger she-cat with green eyes and one white paw)

Deputy: Whitewing (white she-cat with green eyes)

Medicine Cat(s): Leafpool (light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, white paws and chest)  
Jayfeather (gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes)  
Alderheart (dark ginger tom with amber eyes)  
Warriors: Berrynose (cream-colored tom with a stump for a tail)  
Cinderheart (gray tabby she-cat)  
Lionblaze (golden tabby tom with amber eyes)  
Bumblestripe (very pale gray tom with black stripes)

Ivypool (silver-and-white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes)  
Dovewing (pale gray she-cat with green eyes)  
Cherryfall (ginger she-cat)  
Molewhisker (brown-and-cream tom)

Sorrelstripe (dark brown she-cat)  
Leafshade (a tortoiseshell she-cat)  
Sparkpelt (orange tabby she-cat)

Twigbranch (gray she-cat with green eyes)

Swallowthroat (pale gray tabby tom)  
Plumheart (black and orange she-cat)

Stemfur (orange tabby and white tom)

Queens:Daisy (cream long-furred she-cat)

Elders: Briarlight (dark brown she-cat, paralyzed in her hindquarters)

Apprentices: Shrewpaw (light gray tabby tom)

Onepaw (wolf-like tom with yellow eyes; reincarnation of Wolfsoul; formerly Stealthclan)

Kits: Hollykit (black she-cat)

 _ **Stealthclan:**_

Leader: Brackenstar (golden tabby tom)

Deputy: Jayleaf (gray tabby tom)

Medicine cat(s): Kestrelthorn (mottled gray tom)

Queens: Squirrelheart (light ginger she-cat)

Icedust (white she-cat with icy blue eyes)

Elders: Butterblaze (ginger tabby tom, missing one leg)

Warriors: Cinderspirit (very light gray she-cat)

Tigersnarl (dark brown tabby tom)

Lionclaw (golden tabby tom)

Sugarheart (white she-cat)

Fernspirit (gray she-cat)

Shadowheart (black tabby tom with red eyes)

Rainnose (gray-blue she-cat)

Apprentices: Lightpaw (light gray tabby tom)

Flarepaw (flame orange tom with golden eyes)

Kits:

 _ **Pondclan:**_

Leader: Blossomstar (ginger she-cat with white spots)

Deputy: Troutfur (dark gray tabby tom)

Medicine cat: Berryfur (creamy she-cat)

Queens: Featherfoot (silver she-cat)

Elders: Splashstep (gray tabby tom)

Warriors: Tallfoot (pale gray she-cat)

Silvershine (silver she-cat)

Rustpelt (ginger tabby tom)

Voleclaw (gray tabby tom)

Violetheart (light brown she-cat with purple eyes)

Sleekfur (black and white tabby tom)

Apprentices: Dapplepaw (tortoiseshell she-cat)

Kits: Lilykit (ginger she-cat)

 _ **Littleclan:**_ __

Leader:

Deputy:

Medicine cat: Blackmist (black she-cat)

Queens:

Elders:

Warriors: Strongsoul (black she-cat)

Poppypelt (black she-cat with gray spots)

Shinefur (ginger she-cat)

Apprentices:

Kits: Joltkit (electric ginger tabby tom)

 _ **Heartclan:**_

Leader: Deadstar (pure black tabby tom)

Deputy: Otterheart (dark brown tabby tom)

Medicine cat: Mallowheart (gray she-cat with soft green eyes)

Queens: Beepelt (tortoiseshell she-cat)

Elders: Tansydrop (gray she-cat)

Warriors: Petalgleam (ginger she-cat)

Hollysoul (black she-cat)

Firestream (ginger tom)

Cloudclaw (white tabby tom)

Gingerpelt (ginger she-cat)

Applefoot (light brown tabby tom)

Giantfoot (black tabby tom with very big paws)

Silentsoul (silver tabby tom)

Apprentices: Snowpaw (white tabby tom)

Kits: Cinderkit (gray she-cat)


	6. Chapter 5

Onepaw raced after Plumheart, hard on her paws. The rain had started only moments ago, but it was already hammering down. They'd finished the tour just in time and were on their way back. They bolted through the camp entrance and under a bush, in a dry spot.

"So, since you can already hunt, tomorrow I'll teach you some battle moves." She told him.

"If it's not raining." He added.

"Right." She remembered.

Onepaw left the shelter of his nest, racing across the muddy camp and darted into the apprentices' den. He tripped over something, getting back to his paws.

"Watch it!" A light gray tom hissed.

"Sorry, Shrewpaw." He twitched an ear, curling up in his nest.

He closed his eyes, laying his tail over his nose, falling into a deep slumber.

*X*

A starry she-cat sat in front of him.

"Brightstar." He purred.

"Wolfsoul." She dipped her head.

"Why have you summoned me her tonight?" He asked.

"I believe that Firestar has found a passageway to something beyond Starclan and the Dark Forest." Brightstar announced. She seemed worried.

"What's wrong?" He persisted.

"The Dark Forest, they can reincarnate cats as well."

 **Sorry it's short. Just have quite a few other fanfictions to work on and I thought this was a dramatic chapter ending. Seemed perfect to stop it there.**


	7. Chapter 6

"No…" He gasped out. "It can't be."

"Do you think that they will reincarnate Tigerfang?" Brightstar asked.

He nodded slowly. "Yes, Brightstar, I do think so. This isn't good at all. We're all in danger; Starclan and the clans. Do you know if they've reincarnated any cat yet?"

"Just one." She told him. "Hawktalon."

His tail stopped twitching and his heart seemed to skip a few beats. "Great Starclan...and he's almost as bad as Tigerfang. Oh no. Do you know where he is?"

Brightstar shook her head. "I don't know, Wolfsoul."

"We're all in grave danger now." He hissed out. "This isn't good at all. I'll hunt him down myself if I have to."

"I know you would." She told him gently. "But now is not the time. Wait until you are a warrior."

"But I am a warrior." He nearly snarled. "Just only one cat knows it. To every other cat down there, I am just an apprentice. I'm ready! I can find Hawktalon and take him down now!"

"Not yet, Wolfsoul. When the time is right, that is when you will fight him."

"How do I know when the time is right?"

But the vision was already fading.

"Brightstar! Don't go! Answer me!" He yowled at her.

*X*

Onepaw's eyes snapped open. He was back in his nest. Shrewpaw was glaring at him from across the den.

"Sorry." He murmured.

The light gray apprentie gave a small flick of his tail. "Right."

He got to his paws, shaking moss from his pelt. "Just a bad dream."

"We all get them." Shrewpaw muttered in reply. "Just gotta walk it off."

Onepaw gave him a small nod and left the den. He glanced around the muddy clearing, thankful to see that the rain had stopped. He could see the moon and the stars above him. _When the time is right, Brightstar? When is that?_


	8. Chapter 7

It'd been nearly half a moon since his last talk with Brightstar. The full moon rose high in the starry night. Onepaw stood with the rest of Thunderclan, waiting for Squirrelstar to give the signal to leave camp. He was anxious. What would his former clanmates say when they saw him? He shuddered and then forced his pelt to smooth.

"You alright?" Alderheart's sympathetic mew came.

Onepaw looked up at the medicine cat. "Just a little anxious."

"It is your first Gathering after all." The ginger tom meowed.

 _Uh, no._ He thought. "What will my old clanmates think?" He asked, flattening his ears.

"They'll be glad that you're alive." Leafpool purred from nearby.

"Really?" He snarled, whipping around to face her. "They might be angry with Thunderclan for taking me. I could have gotten back fine on my own, if you'd have let me."

"Relax." Squirrelstar's gentle, firm mew came as she padded over. "It'll be fine, Onepaw." Then she addressed the rest of the clan. "We should be going!"

The clan burst through the thorn barrier and through the forest. They reached the beach, travelling along the water line to the tree bridge. The smell of all of the other four clans reeked the air. They were the last to arrive.

They pushed through the thorn bushes and entered the clearing. The other clans turned to look at them. Onepaw lay alone at the side of the clearing, while his clanmates sat with the rest of the clans. Plumheart gestured to him with her tail. He slunk over to her side, sitting beside her.

A yowl sounded from the branches of the leaders' tree. Every cat went silent and looked up to see four leaders and Strongsoul, Littleclan's representative, seated on the tree.

"Brackenstar, would you like to start?" Strongsoul asked.

"Very well." The golden tabby dipped his head. "Over the moon, we lost one of our kits to the river by Thunderclan's border." Sadness glittered in his eyes. "We also have a new apprentice, Flarepaw."

"Flarepaw! Flarepaw!" Most of the cats cheered.

"You let a kit out of your camp?" Blossomstar's eyes narrowed.

"No, we did not." Brackenstar replied. "He and his brother snuck out and were playing by the river apparently. We will mourn the loss of Wolfkit."

Onepaw fought the urge to get to his paws and yowl that he was right there. Plu,heart glanced at him.

"Do you think Squirrelstar will tell him?" He whispered.

She shrugged.

Strongsoul spoke up. "Littleclan is thriving and will soon be letting a group of loners into our clan. They have been helping us over the last few moons. Tomorrow, I will be going to the Moontree to receive my nine lives."

Blossomstar just nodded, then looked over the cats. "Pondclan is thriving well. Plenty of prey for now."

Deadstar cleared his throat. "Heartclan is doing well. Prey is running normally."

Every cat turned their focus to Squirrelstar.

The ginger Thunderclan leader shifted our paws. "We have a new apprentice, Onepaw."

"Onepaw! Onepaw!" The clan cats looked around for him and he found the fur along his spine spiking up.

Flarepaw's eyes met his. He dipped his head to his brother, who narrowed his golden eyes in return. He saw ambition and anger deep inside those eyes. The want for revenge.

Then the truth came to Onepaw. One name stuck in his mind. That cat wasn't his brother, but his enemy.

Flarepaw was Hawktalon.


	9. Chapter 8

Onepaw bared his teeth, letting a snarl slip as he approached the tabby. His tail twitched. Flarepaw-no, Hawktalon looked just as unhappy as he was to see him.

"Hawktalon." He hissed.

"Wolfsoul." The other tom glared at him. "Long time, no see."

"Very funny." Onepaw forced back the urge to jump on him. "How long have you known?"

"A few moons now." Flarepaw responded. "What about you?"

"A few heartbeats."

"If it weren't for the truce, Wolfsoul, you'd be dead right now."

"Amazing that you still follow the truce, Hawktalon." Onepaw hissed. "I thought Dark Forest cats didn't care about this stuff."

"I'm not trying to cause a scene!" The tom hissed back. "I'll make you pay for what you've done, Wolfsoul. You just wait."

The flame-colored tom vanished among the other cats, who were heading for the tree bridge. With an angry huff, Onepaw walked with them. Back towards Thunderclan territory.


	10. Chapter 9

Onepaw warily padded back towards camp two moons later, a mouse dangling from his jaws. He hadn't forgotten about Hawktalon's threat yet. Whenever he thought about it, which was pretty often, his fur spiked up.

Plumheart padded along beside him silently, a thrush in her own jaws. He knew that she was disappointed in him. He'd missed a shrew that would've been easy to catch. He'd zoned off and by the time he snapped back into reality, it was gone. He'd tried to apologize to her, but it'd only made matters worse.

As much as he hated Hawktalon, Onepaw longed to be back in Stealthclan, where he could hunt better and impress Brackenstar. Instead, here he was, stuck under the command of Squirrelstar.

He just couldn't get used to it; living in another clan. He'd lived most of both of his lives there and knew that was where he would be if he and Flarepaw hadn't snuck out of camp.

It was his fault he was in Thunderclan. Aways would be.


End file.
